Groceries shop found to be selling cigarettes and alcohol to underage customers

Carl Gavaghan, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Police have called for a review into a shop in Whitby which was found to be selling alcohol and cigarettes to underage customers.

The police have asked Scarborough Borough Council to revoke the premises licence of Spar Groceries (Happy Shopper) at 1-2 Raglan Terrace.

In their submission the police state that: “On 15 September 2018 a 17-year-old child purchased cigarettes and alcohol from the premise

“On 3 October 2018 alcohol was sold to a 16-year-old child.”

The police also state that the premises licence holder is absent and staff have been insufficiently trained.

The shop currently has a licence to sell alcohol until 11pm on Mondays to Saturday and 10.30pm on Sundays.

The police’s submission adds: “Due to the seriousness of two underage sales within 18 days of each other the police see no alternative than to instigate formal review proceedings to ensure that measures are put in place to prevent Spar Groceries from continuing to undermine the licensing objectives.”

Scarborough Council will now invite submissions on the review and a meeting of the authority’s licensing sub-committee will meet later this year to decide what action to take.